Yamaha Sports Ride Concept Promises Four-Wheel Fun in Tokyo

Powertrain remains a mystery.

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Known for its musical instruments and power sports vehicles, Yamaha introduced a four-wheeled concept at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show. The Yamaha Sports Ride concept promises four-wheel fun for two. That is if the concept makes it into reality.

Murray worked with Yamaha on the small Motiv city car concept in 2013. While that concept featured a 1.0-liter gas three-cylinder or all-electric powertrain, we expect the Sports Ride concept to be powered by a more performance-oriented drivetrain due to a reference to the concept’s headlights. Yamaha says, “The headlights reminiscent of the YZF-R1 are testament to it inheriting the genes of the Yamaha flagship sports model.”

The Yamaha YZF-R1 is powered by a 1.0-liter four-cylinder with a 14,000-rpm redline. Not only does that engine makes around 200 hp at the crank, it makes more sense than a lower-powered engine destined for a city car. The vehicle shape and high center-mounted exhaust tips suggest a mid-engine, rear-drive design. While 200 hp may not sound like a lot, it would feel like plenty in the Sports Ride, which Yamaha says weighs 750 kg (roughly 1,650 pounds). Overall length is just over 153.4 inches long (3,900 mm).

Where the exterior closely resembles that of exotic sports cars, the inside is finished in a mix of high-quality metal, leather, and carbon fiber. The dual-cowl approach for driver and passenger is said to “create a silhouette with a sense of unity.” Additionally, a speaker box behind the driver’s headrest uses wood grain and sunburst paint seen in Yamaha’s guitars. For those less interested in the company’s musical roots, the interior also pays tribute to Yamaha motorcycles by using throttle butterflies for HVAC vents. Cool.

In order to bring the feeling of the company’s motorcycles to the enclosed four-door vehicle, the concept features transparent materials on the roof, doors, and floor to “bring the presence of earth closer as you drive through.”